Cushion-cap for finger-keys.



H. M. HAY.

CUSHION CAP FOR FINGER KEYS.

APPLICATION FILED Amm, 1910.

974,488. Patented Nov. 1,1910.

IIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIII L 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD DIORTON HAY, OF CHICAG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T) CUSHIN CROIVN-ARCH KEY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F NEKT JERSEY.

CUSHION-CAP FOR FINGERKEYS Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

To all Lv/tom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, I-IowARD MoRToN HAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cushion-Caps for Finger-Keys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises certain improvements in cushion caps for finger keys of writing machines and other machines operated by keys.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates my invention, Figure l is a side view of an upper shell or cup, for holding a cushion; Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of a lower cup or shell for connecting the device to a finger key; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken centrally through the two cups, secured together; Fig. 4 is a central sectional view of one of the cushions; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the complete device; Fig. 6 is a central sectional view of an upper shell having tongues for retaining the cushion; Fig. 7 is a view showing, in central section, a lower cup of modified form; Fig. 8 is a similar view of a cushion having a flange at its lower end; Fig. 9 is a similar view of a shell for receiving the cushion shown in Fig. 8, and, Fig. l() is a similar view showing the cushion of Fig. 8y iitted into the shell of Fig. 9.

Referring to Figs. 1 5, inclusive, of the drawing, A and B indicate sheet metal cups or shells, the former being adapted to hold the cushion C, and the latter being adapted to fit over the linger key of a machine, such as a writing machine. The upper cup, A, is formed with a tubular projection l, at its center, and in assembling lthe parts, this projection is passed through a central opening 2 in the base of the cup B and then eXpanded, thus securing the cups together, base to base, as shown in Fig. 8. The sidewall 3 of the upper cup, A, is conical, converging toward the upper end, while the wall 4 of the cup`B is preferably cylindrical, and indented, as shown at 5, before or after assembling, so that the cup will engage the side of the finger key with sufiicient friction to hold the cups in place thereon.

The cushion C is made of rubber having a suitable degree of resiliency, and comprises a crown portion c, preferably slightly concave on its upper side and provided with inlaid letters, figures or other characters 6, and a hollow base c. The cavity 7 in the base is substantially hemispherical, and the outer wall 8 is conical, the diameter of the wall at its upper end being considerably smaller than that of the crown, and at its lower end being approximately oi the same diameter as the crown, as shown. In central vertical section the cushion has an arched form with the crown projecting laterally and overhanging the sloping' sides of the base. The cushion may be readily placed in the cup A by compressing the base of the cushion, and when inserted the base will eX- pand and fit snugly within and be retained by the sloping side wall of the cup. Addi4 tional securing means, such as cement, may be used, or the side wall of the cup may be indented, or provided with prongs for engaging the cushion, as shown at 9, in the cup A, Fig. 6. The wall 3 of the cup prevents the wall of the cushion from spreading when pressure is applied vertically on the crown of the cushion.

It will be noted that the wall 8 of the cushion is wider, or higher, than the wall 3 of the cup A, so that the overhanging crown is supported above and out of contact with the upper edge of the shell. This arrangement permits the crown, as a whole, or one side thereof, to yield and tilt to some extent when the finger pressure is applied at a point away from the center of the crown. Thus, if the linger pressure is applied with greatest force at an angle to the vertical, or at one side of the center, which is generally the case, the sloping wall of the cushion at the side where the pressure is applied will yield, and since the overhanging part of the crown is not obstructed by the metal shell, the crown as a whole will have a yielding, tilting movement. The overhanging portion of the crown also, is rendered more resilient by reason of its position above and out of contact with the metal shell. This yielding 100 arrangement of the crown is desirable, not only because of the cushioning effect, but because if the crown be struck near its periphery the bending and flattening of the crown increases the area of its contact with 105 the finger and prevents the finger from slipping off of the cushion. It will be seen that this desirable resiliency in the crown is due in part to the arrangement of the crown above the wall of the shell, and in part to 110 thc inclination of the wallof the base with respect to the crown which permits the crown to yield readily to either lateral or vertical pressure.

Fig. 7 shows a modification B of the lower shell in which the outer wall 4a is slotted vertically to provide tongues 10 for holding the shell on a linger key. This arrangement is desirable ior attachment to the keys of adding and computing machines, where greater pressure is applied to the keys than on typewriting machines and it is necessary to hold the shells thereon more securely.

The cushion C2, Figs. 8 and l0, is the same as the cushion shown in Figs. 4 and 5, except that the bottom part of the conical wall of the cushion is wider than the wall of the cushion in Figs. 4 and 5 and in Figs. 8 and l() the cushion has an exterior annular flange 1l at the bottom of the base. This form of cushion is adapted to lit directly upon the rim of a linger key, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. lO, and it is retained in position upon the key by a shell A2 having an upper conical wall 12 which lits around the conical wall of the cushion, a shoulder 13 which tits over the llange l1 of the cushion and a cylindrical wall 14 which tits around the linger key. The wall l2 may be indented to grip the rubber cushion and the wall 14 may be indented to grip the side of the finger key. Vhen in position upon the key, it will be noted that the crown c is supported above the conical portion of the shell, the same as in Fig. 5, and the action of the cushion, when in use, is the same as described in connection with Fig. 5.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a suitable shell or socket, provided with means for its connection to a finger key, of a cushion of resilient material comprising a base portion, supported within and projecting above the top of the socket, and a crown portion projecting laterally at the upper end of the base and supported thereby out of engagement with the upper edge of the socket.

2. The combination with a suitable shell or socket provided with means for its connection to a nger key, of a cushion of resilient material comprising a hollow base having its side wall litting within and projecting above the top of the socket and a crown projecting laterally from the upper end of the base out of engagement with the upper edge of the socket.

3. The combination with a suitable shell or socket provided with means for its connection to a linger key, of a cushion of resilient material comprising a hollow base having an upwardly converging side wall litting within and projecting above the top of the socket and a crown projecting laterally from the upper end of the base and supported thereby out of engagement with the upper edge ot the socket.

4. The combination with a shell or socket provided with means for its attachment to a finger key, said socket having an upwardly converging side wall, of a cushion of resilient material comprising a hollow base having an upwardly converging side wall fitting within and projecting above the top of the socket and a crown projecting laterally from the upper end of the base and supported thereby out of engagement with the upper edge of the socket.

5. The combination with a shell or socket provided with means for its attachment to a linger key, said socket having upwardly converging side walls, of a cushion of resilient material comprising a base having a hemispherical cavity and an upwardly converging side wall fitting within and projecting above the top of the socket and a crown projecting laterally at the upper end of the base.

6. The combination with a shell having means for its attachment to a linger key and an upwardly converging side wall, of ak cushion of resilient material litting within the shell and comprising a hollow base having an exterior annular ange at its lower end, an upwardly converging side wall extending above the shell and a crown projecting laterally at the upper end of the base.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HOWARD MORTON HAY.

Witnesses CHARLES S. RICHARDSON, CHARLES L. LovELAND. 

